Sylvania



A. PAPINI.

C URHENT REGULATING PLUG ANDSOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- I9| 1919.

A T ORNE YS.

' A. PAPINI. Y CURRENT REGULATING PLUG AND SOCKET.

f APPLICATION FILED NOV. I9. 1919.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HHIIIIIIIII-H .l-...lllllll I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTONIO PAPINI, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO A. MECKYCOMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF" PENN-SYLVANIA.

CURRENT-REGULATING PLUG AND SOCKET.

Application led November 19, 1919.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ANTONIO PAPIXI, a subject of the King of Italy,having resided in the United States one year last past and havingdeclared my intention of becoming a citizen thereof, residing in thecity and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have inventedanew and useful Current- Reg'ulating Plug and Socket, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates in general to electric regulators or rheostats foruse in connection with electric circuits designed both for lightingpurposes and in connection with medical batteries or other devices,including dynamos and motors, to which electrical current is suppliedand caused to pass through a resistance material, which is preferably animpalpable graphite mixed with pulverized mica, but may, of course, beof other composition, so as to form a more or less elastic materialwhich in certain types of regulators is adapted to be compressed toincrease its conductivity or loosened to increase its resistance, inorder to increase or diminish the force or strength of the currentpassed through it, so as to regulate the brilliancy of the light or thepotency of the motor or other device to which the current is applied.

My present invention, relating generally to devices of the foregoingclass, comprehends specifically a regulator in which there is no varyingcompression or control of the resistance material which is contained asa mass within the casing of the regulator, and is divided bycurrent-conveying disks in such manner that only a. predetermined are-aof the mass lengthwise consideredis subjected to the passage of thecurrent to control the conductivity or resistance.

My invention has further relation to and comprises a novel means formaking and breaking' the current through the shifting of an electriccontact from contact disk to Contact disk within the mass of theresistance material, the disks being spaced apart at predetermined andpreferably equal distances and each being formed with a contact lugprojecting through a slot in the casing.

My invention further comprehends special circuit s opening and circuitclosing means and special devices connected with said means foreffecting their desired operation, together with other features ofinventi@ which illustrated .in the accom.-

Specifcaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

Serial No. 339,142.

panying drawings and hereinafter described, the particularsubject-matter which I claim as novel being definitely set forth in theclaims.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in theaccompanying drawings forms thereof which are at pref? ent preferred byme, since they will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results.It is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which myinvention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that myinvention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization ofthese instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure l represents an essentially central, vertical section through aregulator embodying a preferred form of my invention, the section beingtaken on the angular line 22 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 represents a horizontal, sectional plan through the regulator ofFig. l, section being taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents an elevational view of my regulator with the cap coverremoved so as to expose the contact finger of the contact arm and itsoperating arm, and the connection of the pull chain with the operatingarm, the sight of the view being taken in the direction of the arrowmarked A upon Fig. 2.

Fig. 4L represents a horizontal section through the regulatorillustrated in the other gures, section being taken upon the dotted line3 3 of Fig. 3.

- Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of a wiring of the electriccircuits of the machine, and Fig. 6 a modification.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding part-s in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings The body of the casing, preferably composed ofporcelain or other refractory material, is composed of a solid bodyportion of cylindric form which I have designated l, and of a lowerdepending, open-bottomed extension designated 2, which latter is in theform of a hollow cylinder both the internal and external diameters ofwhich are greater than the diameter of the body portion proper and areconnected therewith by a horizontal flanged connection designated' 3, soas to form within the casing a chamber for the resistance material Thebody 1 of the casing is axially apertured at 4, and the lower portion ofsaid aperture' increases in diameter to form an enlargement 5, withinwhich is introduced the upper portion of a porcelain bushing 6, uponwhich is superimposed a tubular packing 7 preferably of wool asbestos.

Latera-lly of the axial aperture 4 and within the body of the casing areformed side apertures 8, within which are respectively entered fasteningbolts 9, which serve both to secure to the body of the casing anexternal shell plug 10 of the character usual in these devices7 and alsoto secure a metallic disk 11, which serves to separate the upper surfaceof the hollow interior or chamber of the extension 2 of the body of thecasing from the body of the casing itself and from the upper surface ofthe mass of resistance material 12.

13 designatesv a central metallic bolt which passes completely throughthe body 1 of the casing, thro-ugh the asbestos packing 7, through theporcelain bushing 6, through the mass of resistance material 12 and alsothrough central apertures in aI plurality of brass or other metallicContact disks 14, which are diametrically formed to fit within theinternal chamber of the lower extension 2 of the body 1 of the casing,and which are also formed, each, with a radially outwardly extending lug15,.which, in the assemblage of the disks, all enter within alongitudinal vertical slot 16 channeled out of a wall of the lowerextension 2 of the casing.

These contact disks, as explained, are so entered within the mass of theresistance material 12 as to divide it into layers, and, of course, arecentrally insulated from the bolt 13 by contact with the porcelainbushing 6.

The central bolt 13, as illustrated in the drawings, is squared at itshead vportion to prevent its turning, and extends downwardly andcompletely through a base plate 17, which fits withinl the ybasalopening of the lower extension 2 of the body of the casing, and is`formed of porcelain or kindred insulatingmaterial. This base plateserves to effect the desired retention and initial compression of theresistance material with relation to the casing` and contact disks 14,`through the clamping actions of a nut 18 on the central bolt 13, whichis electrically connected with the lamp filament 44.

A socket shell 19 of the usual type is preferably secured to theregulator casing by having its internal central opening 20 formed as acircumferential upwardly and outwardly extending flanged collar or rim21', which is adaptedtoY fit within a circular socket 22 channeledwithin the under surface of the base plate .17

'ing of the regulator and also the socket shell,

and which may be of any desired form but is preferably made up of a spunbody to which the numeral 25 is applied, and of a cap piece 26 whichrests upon the flanged connection 3 between the body 1 and the lowerextension 2 of the casing as a whole. 27 designates apertures throughthe walls and cap piece of the cap cover 25, topermit i of the' escapeof heat generated in the opera- ',tion of the device.

28 designates a pull chain of the usual character, which extends in partcircumferentially of the casing by lying as to a portion of its lengthwithin a horizontal chain `channel 29, conveniently formed upon theupper surface of the flanged connection 3 of the regulator body, as bestshown in Fig. 4, and which extends down through oppositely disposedvertical chain channels 30 formed between the external walls ofthe lowerextension 2 of the casing and the internal walls of the cap cover 25-,as shown yin Figs. '1, 3 and 4.

l At their lower extremities these vertical chain channels 30conveniently enter within what I call channel cups 31, which passthrough the shoulder 24 of the cap cover 25', and are external of abasal tubular cover shell 32 which is an extension of the walls of thecap cover 25 and which incloses a ,depending tubular diaphragm 33.

rlhe mechanism for effecting electric control, which is operated byth'epull chain 28, is the following Y 34 designates a Contact armpreferably of curved or Vbent forni to cause it to conform with more orless accuracy to the external lcurvature of the lower extension 2 of thecasing, and which at its outer or freeend `or terminal is formed orprovided with a otherwise operatively in connection with,

the pull chain 28, Vso that in the movement of said pull chain throughits vertical channels 30, the operating arm 40- is caused to have aswinging movement about the pin connection 37 and to impart a segmentalmovement to the contact arm and finger.

As a result of the foregoing connections of parts and according as themovement of' the pull chain is upward or downward, there will beoccasioned an upward or a downward movement of the contact finger 35with respect to and against the radial lugs 15 which extend from thecontact disks 14 within the resistance material, so as to causeelectrical contact between any one of the plurality of disks and thefinger and therefore close a circuit which may extend through the'lowero'r through the upper portion of the substance of the mass of resietancematerial or through any intermediate portion of said material, accordingto which of the contact disks the contact finger is in touch with.

Intermediate of its length, the operating arm 40 is divided by aconnecting block 42 of insulating material, so that no current can passthrough it to the pull chain ;-in other words, the operating arm is madeof two parts of metal divided and connected by an insulating part oflength of nonconductive material. y

An arm 45 extending downward from the pivotal connection at 37 and 38 ofthe contact arm 34 and operating arm 40, and then bent radially inwardas 46 to the central bolt 13, terminates in a hollow circular or loopedcollar 47 which surrounds and retains an insulating mica washer 48,which washer encompasses the bottom of the central bolt 13.

Below the mica washer 48 is another hollow fiber washer 49, beneathwhich is a mctallic, disk 50, against which the nut 18 on the centralbolt 13 bears.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 the extension 46 passes through anaperture 51 in the wall of the socket shell 19, and the mica washer 48is placed below it and above the nut 18 on the central bolt 13.

In the typically illustrated wiring diagram of F ig. 5, the circuit isindicated as closed with relation to a central contact disk and as alsoshown in the illustrations of Figs. 1 and 3, the lower layers ofresistance material, the Contact disks and the layers below, throughwhich the current is passing, being out of service, so to speak, andperforming no function in the operation of the device as an entirety.

Vhen, therefore, the movable contact arm is moved either upwardly ordownwardly according to the throw of the operating arm, a lesser numberor a larger number of contact disks and lugs and intermediate layers ofthe mass of resistance material, will be included in the closed circuit.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and usefulconstruction of a current regulating plug and socket, which embodies thefeatures of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of theinvention, and while I have, in the present instance, shown anddescribed a preferred embodiment thereof which will be found in practiceto give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood thatsuch embodiment is susceptible of modification in if'arious particularswithout departing from the spirit or scope of the invention orsacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a. regulator, (combination of an internally chambered casing,-aplurality of contact disks within the casing, having contact lugsradially extending through a slot in the casing, a mass of resistancematerial interposed between the contact disks,-an electrical conductorextending through the casing, the contact disks and the resistancemateriah-a socket shell below the casing and the electrical conductor,-adevice within the electrical circuit adapted to be energized when thecircuit is closed,-a movable contact arm adapted to make contact with alug of any one of the contact disks,- an operating arm connected withthe Contact arm,-and means exterior of the casing for controlling themovement of the operating arm to move the contact arm into contact withany given contact disk.

2. In an electric regulating plug and socket, the combination of acasing of nonconducting material having a chamber therein,-a mass ofresistance material contained within said chamber,-a plurality ofcontact disks which divide the resistance material into layers and whichare `formed with radial lugs extending outwardly through a longitudinalslot in a wall of the casing,-a pivoted contact arm exterior of thecasing, the free end of which is adapted to make contact with a lug ofany one of the contact disks,-an operating arm connected with thecontact arm at its pivoted end,- and an operating chain which partly en-Compasses the casing and the depending ends of which make it possible todeflect the operating arm and the contact arm in either direction withrelation to their pivot, which chain at its free end is connected withthe operating arm.

3. In an electric regulating plug and socket, the combination of acasing of nonconducting material having a chamber therein,-a pluralityof contact disks which divide the resistance material into layers andwhich are formed with radial lugs extending outwardly through alongitudinal slot in a wall of the casing,-a pivoted contact armexterior of the casing, the free end of which is adapted to make contactwith a lugV of any 'of the contact disks,-an operating arni connectedwith the contact arm at itsV pivoted end vand at its 'ree end connectedwith an operating chain which partly encompasses the casing and thedepending ends of which niake it possible to deflect the operating armand the contact arin in either direction with relation to theirpivot,-and an external cover inclosing the cas-ing, the resistanceinaterial and the contact disks within the chamber of the casing, andalso Y the contact arin7 the operating arni and the OperatingYchainrconnection of said arins.

4L. In an electric regulating plug and socket, the combination of acasing or non 'conducting material having a chanibei` therein,a inass ofresistance material contained within saidchanibeiy-a plurality ofcontact disks which divide the resistance inaterial into layers andwhich are formed with radial lugs extending outwardly through alongitudinal slot in a wall of the casingfa pivoted Contact arinexterior of the casing, the free end of which is adapted to inakecontact with a lug of any onel of the contact disks,-an operating arinconnected with the Contact arni at its pivoted end,-and an operatingchain which lies in a chain groove formed in the exterior of the casingabove its chamber, and the depending ends of which pass downwardly so asto be operative from the exterior of the casing to deiiect the operatingarm and the contact arni in either direction with relation to theirpivotf-and an external cover inclosing the chamber of the casing and itscontents, lthe contact arm and the operating arm, and which is aperturedfor the depending ends of the chain to pass out of it.

Y ANToNio Parini.

Witnesses JOHN A. WiEDnRsHEIM, N. BUfssiNenR.

